Bulls’ Subban Blazing His Own Trail
Posted on 07. Aug, 2011 by Anthony Nicholson in The Prospect Files
How far can drive, desire, and determination take you? Ever since bursting onto the scene at the 2009 World Junior Championships, P.K. Subban has become a household name across Canada, due to an amazing combination of scoring, defence, and grit. P.K. would win Gold with Team Canada that year, and has become one of the top defencemen on the Montreal Canadiens after just one season. P.K. worked his way to the big leagues with an incredible desire to win learned from his parents, who were both star athletes in school, so it should come as no surprise to find out that there is another Subban about to make his mark on the hockey world.
Raised in Etobicoke, Malcolm Subban grew up spending his winters in his backyard, where his father built an outdoor rink each year. Malcolm and his younger brother Jordan would spend countless hours on the ice with P.K., running drills and learning what it takes to play defence, which is something their father, Karl, would teach them at an early age. Karl was a star basketball player who had set records at Lakehead University and gave his children the incredible drive to succeed. The Subban’s also have two other children, Nastassia, a former standout basketball star at York University, and Natasha, who studies art in Italy.
In 2005, at just 11 years of age, Malcolm would make a decision that would set him apart from his hockey playing siblings. Before the start of his minor bantam season, he approached his father to tell him the news.
“My Dad, he was my Coach, and he always wanted me to be a defenceman like my brother, it was hard to tell him, but I really wanted to be a goalie,” Malcolm said. His decision was made. His Mother, Maria, herself a track star at school, expanded on those thoughts.
“We thought the GTHL would think we were mad, taking a good defenceman and making him a goalie. That’s what he wanted to do!” While Karl had always wanted his boys to play defence, he would not stand in the way of his son’s decision, supporting his sudden change.
After spending just four years as a goaltender, Malcolm was drafted by the Belleville Bulls, the same team his brother P.K. played for in his junior days, in the 11th round of 2009. One year later, Malcolm would impress Bulls Head Coach George Burnett so muchthat he had no choice but to keep him on the team. “We thought he’d play Jr. A with our affiliate team, and he came in, had a great pre-season, and made it so difficult we didn’t have any choice but to keep him.”
Malcolm spent much of the 2010-11 season competing with fellow 1993 netminder Tyson Teichmann for playing time in Belleville, but his performance in the playoffs this year has likely earned him the starter’s role for next season, barring any injury. After a game one loss to the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, Malcolm would replace Teichmann in net for game two and give up just one goal in a 1-0 loss,despite being heavily outplayed. In net again for game three, Malcolm again would keep the OHL’s top scoring team to just one goal, as Mississauga would score an empty net goal to win the game 2-0. While the Bulls would eventually be swept in four games, the story of the series would become the play of the young Bulls netminder.
While he may look like his older brother, Malcolm is incredibly different. Malcolm is much more laid back and reserved, which helps him on the ice, especially after giving up a goal. He has the perfect mentality to be a goaltender, fiercely competitive, but relaxed and calm when needed. Malcolm played for Team Canada at the World U-18 Championships this spring, compiling a 3-2 record with a 0.927 save percentage.
P.K’s success has certainly given both of his younger brothers the passion and drive to play hockey at a competitive level. Having seen their older brother become a national junior star, and then make the jump to quickly becoming one of the top National Hockey League defencemen has shown them that it is possible, and Malcolm, as well as Jordan, are well on their way to making their name synonymous with the Sutters and the Staals amongst hockey family royalty. Jordan was drafted by the Bulls this summer, and will be joining Malcolm in Belleville this fall, but it will be the goalie that scouts have their eye on this summer.
“Don’t pay too much attention to the scouts,” Karl would say. “Just go and play, and have fun, and just do your best, and I know the pieces will fall into place.” The time has come for Malcolm to blaze his own trail, and prove to the scouts that P.K. is just the first of many Subbans ready to play in the NHL.
(Photos: Aaron Bell/OHL Images)